Handwheel



March 25 1924. 1,488,323

' I H. w. DOVER HANDWHEEL Filed 001;. 2, 1922 Peres? 25 3 .4-

means omen- PATENT @FFWE.

nbsacewammiadvang QFnOn/I'HAMPTON, ENGLAND. mnnw'rrnn'fiaispi'icatibirniea October 2,1922. semi No; 591,811.

Tofulfl whom it mag jconcerm V Y Be it known that I, HORAQE WALTER Dovnn', of Holyrood',jf St. J amjes; Northampton, England, a British subject, have invent- 5 ed certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Handwheels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hand wheels covered with celluloid or similar material, such as are employed for steering motor vehicles and for like purposes and which are formed with grooved or similar finger grips and has for its objects to improve the finger grips and to enable such a wheel very economically to be produced.

According to this invention a hand wheel is provided with a celluloid or like covering formed with a groove running in spiral fashion therearound at a pitch corresponding substantially with the width of a finger. The groove may be formed very readily by first winding around the rim of the wheel as an open spiral a strip of material constituting a packing and then applying the celluloid, exonite or like covering thereover. The packing strip may be of'textile or like material, metal, celluloid, or a combination of such or similar materials and is then preferably of convexlano cross-section, so that, when the covering of celluloid, exonite or the like is applied, its surface will run smoothly from the adjacent convolutions of the ridge formed by the packing strip to the roove formed between said convolutions, t e open spiral winding of the strip being of such pitch that the adjacent convolutions of the ridge will lie between the fingers, which therefore grip in adjacent convolutions of the groove, thus making the wheel very serviceable to handle;

The covering may be applied by forming a cylinder ofcelluloid, exonite or the like of short axial length compared with its diameter, and stretching it over the rim, so that the contraction of its ends or marginal portions causes said portions to be inwardly directed, after which they may be scarf-jointed together at the inner periphery of the-rim. so If desired the covering. maybe wound in accordance with rior-BritishLetters Patent No. 18,148 of 1906 and if the strip or tape of which thejcdvering is to .be formed be of appropriate'cross section the employment of a packing strip may be obviated,

for instance, the covering strip may be formed with a ridge running along the centre of its width so that the junctions of adjacent convolutions of the strip lie in the spiral groove, and one of the edges of the strip may be rebated or otherwise formed, or a covering strip as just described may be grooved longitudinally and used in conjunction with a spirally wound packing strip.

The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings whereof Figure 1 is a plan view of one form of hand wheel, Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sect plan corresponding with Figure 1, whilst Figure 3 is similar fragmentary view of a modification.

is shown in Figures 1 and 2, the rim (1 of the wheel has wound therearound as an open spiral a strip '6 of packing material of convex-plano cross-section, the whole rim including the strip 6 being enclosed by a covering or sheathing c of celluloid, exonite or the like applied as hereinbefore set forth. The strip 6 is wound at a pitch corres onding substantially with the width of a nger, consequently after the sheathing 0 has been applied a groove is formed, into which the fingers of the user will fall naturally.

Figure 3 illustrates how the covering may be wound in accordance with prior British Letters Patent No. 18,148 of 1906. For the purpose of the present invention the strip (1 of celluloid, exonite or the like is grooved longitudinally along one surface so that it may receive the spirally wound strip 6 (in this case shown as being of rectangular cross-section) and is formed along and about the centre line of its other surface with a longitudinal ridge. The edges or margins of the strip d are tapered or feathered, as shown, and one of them is rebated as at 2 so as to permit the adjacent marginal portions of adjacent convolutions of said strip to overlap to a greater extent at the inner periphery of the rim a than at the outer periphery.

If desired the packing strip 6 may be dispensed with the strip (i being made of appropriate cross-section.

Hand wheels covered in accordance with this invention maybe very easily and economically produced and the oblique disposition of the groove provides a very serviceable finger grip thus relieving the user of the necessity of grasping the rim firmly.

I claim i 1. A hand wheel provided with a celluloid, exonite or like covering 0r sheathing formed with pronounced groove running in wheel as claimed in claim 1, a strip of material formed with a ridge along the centre of its Width and with tapered margins, substantially as set forth.

' 3. For covering or sheathing a hand wheel as claimed in claim 1, a strip of material formed with a ridge along the center 7 of its width and with feathered margins, substantially as set forth.

4. For covering or sheathing a hand wheel as claimed inclaim 1 a strip of material as claimed in claim 2 one marginal portion of which'is rebated, substantially as set forth. V V

HORACE WALTER DOVER. 

